No peace without drive against illegal weapons

Speakers say illegal weapons should be removed from the hands of those who seek to challenge the state.

LAHORE: There are over 20 million illegal weapons in the country and Pakistan’s security depends on removing them from the hands of those who seek to challenge the state, said speakers at the inaugural ceremony of the National Campaign for Peace at Ali Auditorium on Tuesday.

IA Rehman, secretary general of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said in his speech at the ceremony that peace could not be achieved without an effective campaign to check the proliferation of unlicensed weapons.

He said even the legal arms were used for illegal purposes in Pakistan. He said the presence of weapons in society made people more militant and less likely to talk. “The groups that get more weapons get more political power. Arms change the mindset of the people,” he said.

Rehman said that people must learn to stand up to extremists. “There are no strong voices raised against extremism. Civil society has to play an active role,” he said.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Mumtaz Gillani said that the government needed the help of the international community to stop the influx of weapons into the country.

He said the skewed balance of power in Pakistan also contributed to instability. “The real power rests not with the elected representatives but with the civil and military bureaucracy. Collective public and private efforts will be needed to pave the way for peace,” he said.

Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, an expert in international affairs and military strategy, said that the proliferation of both legal and illegal arms must be checked.

Other speakers said the government should spend more money on schools and police and less on the military. They noted that the police budget was a fraction of the defence budget.

The campaign is being organised by non-government organisations the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan and Oxfam Novib.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th,  2011.